What is septicemia, the infection that led to Stênio Garcia being hospitalized

This Sunday, July 2, as already reported, Stênio Garcia was hospitalized and a battery of tests detected that he has septicemia, also called, among other things, a generalized infection.

but you knowb and what is generalized infection?

According to Dr Drauzio Varella’s website, septicemia, which is also known as generalized infection, sepsis, sepsis, is a response of the body to an infection, caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or protozoa, is a potentially serious disease triggered by an inflammation that spreads through the body in the face of an infection, which can lead to a drop in blood pressure, organ failure, among other symptoms.

It is a complex and potentially serious disease. It is triggered by a marked systemic inflammatory response to an infection, most often caused by bacteria. This reaction is the body’s way of fighting the offending microorganism.

For this, the defense system releases chemical mediators that spread inflammation throughout the body, which can determine the dysfunction or failure of multiple organs, caused by a drop in blood pressure, poor oxygenation of cells and tissues and changes in blood clotting. .

WHERE THE FOCUS IS INSTALLED

The most common is the initial infectious focus to settle in the following organs: lungs (for example, pneumonia), abdomen (appendicitis, peritonitis, biliary and hepatic infections, which are called abdominal sepsis), kidneys and bladder (urinary and kidneys), in the skin (wounds, cellulitis, erysipelas, openings for catheters and probes, abscesses) and in the central nervous system (for example, meningitis).

According to the degree of evolution, the syndrome can be classified into 3 levels:

• Sepsis: The inflammatory response provoked by the infection is associated with at least two other signs. For example, fever, chills and shortness of breath, among others

• Severe sepsis: When there is functional impairment of one or more organs

• Septic shock: A dramatic drop in blood pressure that does not respond to intravenous fluids.

According to the Ministry of Health, the most common outbreaks linked to the disease are pneumonia, urinary tract infection and abdominal infection. The agency claims that the disease is responsible for about 11 million deaths a year worldwide.

SYMPTOMS

Among the symptoms of septicemia are: very high fever, increased heart rate, accelerated breathing or signs such as confusion, agitation, altered level of consciousness, difficulty breathing, decreased amount of urine and low blood pressure.

There are no specific tests for septicemia, but some tests help to identify the existence of the infection and the diagnosis is based on identifying the infectious focus and signs of organ malfunction.